The freighter, chartered by the Australia's monopoly wheat exporter AWB Ltd., is one of two carrying a total 100,000 tonnes of wheat supplied by Australia for the humanitarian aid effort in Iraq.

The second ship is still off Oman awaiting clearance to go to the southern Iraqi port of Umm Qsar.

Australia's parliamentary secretary for aid, Chris Gallus, told AFP Canberra had been liasing with the UN World Food Program (WFP) to get the milled wheat into Iraq.

One of the ships had been diverted to Kuwait City to allow the earliest possible delivery to Iraq by road.

A small British warship, the Sir Galahad, delivered 800 tonnes of food, medicines and blankets through Umm Qasr late last week.

But Gallus said the Australian-chartered ships, whose names have not yet been released, are much bigger and fears remained that there may not yet be adequate deepwater clearance for such large vessels at Umm Qasr.

"They are very big ships and although the Sir Galahad could get in, they are a bit concerned about the big ships, about whether the channel has been cleared enough for the big ships," she said.

"They also have to get a pilot, a tug and insurance which I understand has been a great difficulty."

WAR.WIRE